


a youtuber's life for me

by foxtoveni



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 'cause why not, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Closeted Character, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Mutual Pining, No angst here, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, everybody has a pet and you can't tell me otherwise, everybody lives in New York btw, if so they'll be tagged, im proud of this fic's title, lots of youtuber references, my boys deserve to be happy dammit, other characters may appear - Freeform, these two are oblivious, this is probably the longest my tags have gone, youtube au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 20:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11631345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxtoveni/pseuds/foxtoveni
Summary: A group of youtubers consisting of Lance McClain, Keith Kogane, Hunk Garrett and Pidge Gunderson created a shared youtube account called “Voltron” a couple of years ago. In this channel, despite their personal channels varying on content, they play games and do comedy sketches.Always two uploads every day of each individual duo playing a game, a tidy schedule always on the dot. The duos had very recognizable traits on how they played games; Hunk approached things calmly even when frustration was eating at him. Pidge was unpredictable. The second duo? Lance was full on rage when frustration clawed at him and Keith laughed his ass off every time and tried his best to calm down the steaming Lance, who happens to be the man who he’s head over heels for. Keith’s a closeted gay, completely lost and in so deep he didn’t know what to do. Every day it got harder and harder for him to not blurt out something.





	a youtuber's life for me

**Author's Note:**

> /shows up late to youtube au with a Starbucks/  
> ‘sup, i’m not dead,
> 
> anyways!! new fic! bc what is self-control? I run on impulses, baby. (p.s you can pry this youtube au from my cold dead hands. second fave to high school/college aus.)

If you asked sixteen year old Keith nine years ago when he first started YouTube under the username _keithisnotanlien,_ posting videos about himself talking to a camera pretending an audience was listening right then and there while he recorded as he told stories of embarrassing, dumb, and weird things that had happened in his life (which his life wasn’t too exciting back then; he was an introvert and still is), reenacting the storytelling with silly edits and cheesy sound effects would get him to where he is now, he’d answer that no, he never expected it. Hell, back then when he started he had no idea if he even expected anything, but he was and still is extremely grateful he’s gotten so far.

 

He would never take this for granted, all of this happened because strangers he’d never known the existence of, sat on the other side of the screen and watched his videos, liked his dumb content and helped him along his baby steps on the YouTube hobby to a career, a career he genuinely loves and enjoys, even more because he’d gotten to meet amazing people who’ve become their friends, people Keith would not hesitate to fight for.

 

They all knew each other even before Keith came along and accepted him into their loving little ragtag group without hesitation (well, not without basically interrogating Keith, all with good intent and curiosity, just basic questions of _dogs or cats_ and _what’s your favorite movie?_ to which Keith answered calmly to each individual question, _‘both but mostly cats’_ and ‘ _a tie between Alien and Star Wars’_ ), all over a few years ago and they were an inseparable group, they even started a shared channel named Voltron. Despite their own personal channels varying on content, they made the channel a _Let’s Play_ channel, mixed with comedy sketches they did on improv and hopeful projects they could add to their show.

 

Pidge was this little gremlin with a moppy hairstyle fried up in amber locks, big round glasses and a scary accuracy to predict things. Their channel is under the name of _pidgeenstein,_ it was all science related things, from chemical mixing to robot building. Despite being dangerous, they were a genius gremlin who should not be messed with. Keith learned that very quickly after meeting them.

 

Hunk was this big guy who was the very definition of a gentle giant, with parted bangs and short hair on the back, forehead wrapped up in a bandana he wore since the start of his channel, which channel was under the name _Hunkules_ ; all about baking and cooking, showing off his amazing skills in the kitchen and presenting them to the world like the golden plate that it is. How hasn’t this man opened up a restaurant yet was beyond Keith.

 

And Lance? Lance was this tall, tanned, handsome and charming man with adorable and short brown hair and eyes the color of the ocean in a sunny afternoon, with a smile trapping sunshine in his pearly whites and a wonderful personality. Keith had come to realization how hard he’s fallen for him, pining after him ever since they met him but just realized his romantic feelings toward Lance three or four years ago. Lance’s channel was a beauty channel, under the name _Sniperman,_ from hairstyling to skincare, amazing makeup tips and tutorials with a hefty amount of vlogs that were continuously interrupted by Lance’s pets. Keith has watched every video. He’s in so, _so_ deep.

 

The little gang were all thankful they all lived in New York fairly close to each other and can meet up anytime which they do almost all the time even when they’re not recording gameplay or filming improv comedies.

 

The last batch of pre-recorded stuff was running low with only two episodes left of the game Keith was watching Lance play, so after Pidge and Hunk’s sessions were all wrapped up came Keith and Lance’s turn to sit down and film around seven episodes. Keith curled on one end of the couch, basking in the warmth both the fabric and the heater provided as he scrolled through his twitter, awaiting Lance’s return from the bathroom to start the session.

 

As he mindlessly scrolled through his feed, liking and retweeting things that caught his eye, he stopped at one particular, challenging tweet, amusing him far more than it should.

 

 _sunflowerbee @sniperman: I dare you to play that infuriating Mario Maker level @pidgeenstein made and you couldn’t beat -_ and Lance replied: - _sniperman @sunflowerbee: why do you all enjoy watching me suffer at this forsaken, rage-inducing game? the betrayal._

 

Oh boy. What colorful insults will Lance bring today to the table Keith wonders, he swears that man invents new words every time. There’s times Lance has even let out a tsunami of screams in Spanish, not realizing until later that even his begging of help directed toward Keith had gone over him as the man didn’t know too much of Spanish, only a few curse words here and there, with Lance’s help of course.

 

One more minute later and the man dressed in only his blue hoodie and some boxers waltzed in the room, bringing Keith’s attention to his side of the room and upon sight, Keith’s face flared up, immediately straining his eyes away from a pantless Lance to glue them back to his twitter feed, scrolling so fast he could barely even see who was posting. “I, uh,” Keith spoke, cursing in his head about the stammering. He willed his voice to somewhat unphased. “You ready to start recording?”  
  
It’s not like Lance hasn’t been in his boxers before while recording or in his presence, Keith has done it too, but it was hard not to freak out when your crush was just _in his boxers and a hoodie._ Lance has no business being this adorable and handsome at the same time. Who gave him the right?

 

“I was born ready!” Lance announced with a fiery tone as he rounded the corner, flopping his body down onto the soft over-puffed cushions, promptly snatching Keith’s attention from the phone. Lance took the Wii U from it’s place between each their body’s space and brought the console to his lap, booting it up Keith missed the flash of the game’s icon as he checked from his seat if everything was in working order, then Keith had taken a timer in his hands to remind themselves of how long the episodes have been going and then gazed up the plasma tv for the first time today.

 

Yep. Mario Maker. That Wii U’s gonna die, isn’t it.

 

Keith was so intent on looking on Mario Maker’s icon that he’d forgotten to hide the still ever so present crimson tint on his face and with what his luck and all, Lance noticed much to Keith’s demise.

 

“Hey man, you alright?” Lance frowned. “You look hot.”

 

Keith gulped down a lump, “Yeah, yeah,” he choked out, fully aware Lance hadn’t meant it the other way but it sure didn’t stop Keith’s brain from running and cheeks from burning.

 

Lance wasn’t buying it. He leaned in closer, moving a hand away from the console in order to feel the back of it against Keith’s forehead and not to his surprise, he was way too warm that anybody could confuse it for a fever just like Lance’s shifting expression told him.

 

“You’re burning up.” he pointed out. Keith only smiled an awkward grin and Lance lifted his body up, trudging back to the exit door to presumably fetch fever medicine.

 

“No, no!” Keith squeaks a plead.

 

It’s enough to stop Lance, but not enough to dismiss the concern and now growing confusion his face was twisting into. Keith was desperately waving off the situation, taking fever medicine wouldn’t do anything but make them lack of medication for whenever somebody is _actually sick_ and not flustered from seeing their crush in boxers. _Quick, think of something, Keith._

 

“It’s, uh, It’s..” Keith looked around the environment, discreetly casting a glance every which way to find some sort excuse. A metaphorical light bulb pops up above his head when his eyes land on the heater, “Ah! Yes, th- the heater,” Keith coughs. “That. It’s just so warm that, yeah, face is all flushed and.. stuff.” his voice adding to the way he constructed that sentence is obviously uncertain, Lance isn’t still buying it, but the world decides to spare him just this once and Lance drops the subject.

 

“If you say so,” Lance huffed. Keith still smiled awkwardly, suspicion strewn across the other’s face with expressive eyebrows jutted together, wrinkling his features. Under the suspicion there was concern, but eventually there was the smile. “I can lower down the heater a bit, if you’d like?” he offers, body half-turned to the man on the couch. Keith doesn’t trust his words right now so he nods a confirmation. God knows he needs to cool down a little.

 

As Lance trudges back into the room off to the side, Keith watched the way his body bounced with each step and long arms stretched upwards to reach the much-too-high-for-Keith heater and turn it down. But while watching, he was someplace else mentally.

 

Keith felt guilty for worrying him, but he can’t just, confess his feelings, he didn’t even know if the guy liked him back. Keith was fully aware Lance is bisexual so he had a chance, but on the other hand, what were the odds that the romantic feeling was mutual? If he doesn’t, he’ll make things awkward between them, and if he couldn’t be Lance’s boyfriend, he’d rather just be his friend.

 

“Let’s start the episode.” Lance hummed when he flopped back down to the couch, startling Keith out of his musings, he fumbles for a bit with the timer, muttering an affirmative. They work in a smooth sync, one booting the game and the other setting the timer up. It’s not long before Lance’s found in favorites Pidge’s next to impossible level of Mario Maker. They each bring the microphone to their faces, testing the audio, when that was all settled, Lance hits the start button on the recording, Keith sets the timer. He watched it tick down, making sure it was all in working order, and set it aside.

 

Lance smiled. “Welcome back to Voltron!” he greeted, enthusiasm coming off him in waves. “Hello everybody,” Keith chimed in. He greeted much softer but still clear and audible.

 

“Today Keith and I will be playing Mario Maker, and who knows, maybe Keith will have the handle of this game today.”  
  
“Ohno.” Keith quickly replied, refusing the offer.

 

Something about his quick and gentle, no-second-thoughts small comments always made Lance take a short pause, before processing it and busting in a laugh. Today was no difference and it's adorable. He multi-tasked between selecting the stage, aptly named _The Gremlin’s Traphell_ , chortling and joking about Keith’s _oh no._

 

“C’mon man,” The level loads and Lance’s attention is drawn back to the screen, conversing with ease whilst concentrating on the hell spawned level. “You know if reach my limit you gotta take the steering wheel for me.”

 

“I know, I know,” Keith snorts.

 

Lance nods, now directing his attention to the audience as he skillfully dodged some Bullet Bills. “As you can see, we’re playing our friend Pidge’s level,” he starts off, determination in his voice and eyes, but Keith knows said determination will be replaced with unbridled rage somewhere in the fifth or sixth minute of this episode. “By demand.” The demand of one sadistic twitter user, that’s for sure. “I know you’re all doubting that any human being could ever beat this level, but I’ll do it, just you watch me.”  
  
“Well, we’re definitely watching.” Keith busted out the friendly sass, a proud smirk curling across his pale face.

 

“Keith, buddy, pal, my man,” Lance whines. “You’re supposed to be on my sid- wOAH _FUCK!_ ”

 

It was Keith’s turn to laugh. He threw his head back and let a loud eruption of giggles ripple through his throat. He saw the moment Mario was pushed down by Lance’s panic, having forgotten the surprise of the giant red Koopa barreling down from God-knows-where above the screen. Lance was forced to jump away but only to be squished against the wall, taking out the mushroom’s power up and inevitably killing Mario as he met his demise with to the spiky ground.  

  
  
  


The halfway point of the episode is the breaking point for Lance. A barrage of colorful insults were flooding the place and Keith was losing his mind, but despite being consumed by the attack of the giggles Keith’s reaching out a hand to keep the Wii U from flying away Lance’s hands, another hand holding onto his shoulders and keeping the man in place. The stage was sadistic as all hell, Lance deserved a little break.

 

“Do you-” Keith traps his mouth, shutting another giggle. Once he swallowed it down, he opens his mouth back up, “Do you want me to play it instead?”  
  
“Yeah, please,” Lance mumbled, much softer. The tone of a defeated and exhausted man, may Keith point out. “I don’t- I don’t give a shit anymore, please take it.” he groaned, nudging the Wii U at Keith.

 

Keith took the offered device, “It’s okay, baby.” he nudges him, sitting much closer to his person. “Take a breather, ‘kay?” he cooed before turning his attention to the screen. It’s not until then when he starts moving Mario around the dangerous stage that he realizes he called Lance _baby_ , as in, a couple-thing-kind-of-nickname. “Alright, uh, I’m in control now, everybody.” Keith was by no means an amazing Super Mario Maker player, but the sudden realization of what he just did made his fingers turn to jelly and his skills go from decent to _eh._ At least Lance didn’t seem to notice the little nickname, with what all the raging frustration he was temporarily tired out. Hence he decided to lay against Keith’s body, head rested upon the shoulder. His face is flushed red again.

  
  
  


Mario died five times, not even past the first scroll, in less than five minutes. Lance took the control over the game once more when he felt better and eventually, Lance beat the stage. It took two episodes this time, unlike the first time which nearly took them an entire session to the point their fans got grumpy about them replaying it. Lance was so happy he actually had to walk out the room and scream in joy to the mostly empty household (Lance’s fluffy cat was startled, she came running over to Keith and pounced on his lap. Maxwell probably just jumped on Lance), Keith was cheering but much more tame to avoid startling the cat on his lap. He whooped and clapped gently.

 

Keith turned back to his microphone, still a giggling mess as Lance’s cheering is heard from upstairs, “Oh my god, Teacup got startled so bad by all the happy screaming,” he strokes the cat’s fur, settling her down.

 

“Next time on Voltron!”

 

The last thing heard after Keith’s outro shut off was Lance barging back into the room and exclaiming victory.

  
  
  


Three days exactly after the episode of Lance’s Mario Maker victory had gone up, Keith was awoken early in the morning by an insistent beeping. He tossed and turned, trying to will the beep away and the sleep back to his nerves until he’s finally given up. He sat up, grunting, with his own cat resting next to his head on the pillow, undisturbed by the noises unlike him.

 

Keith pinpoints the noise and realizes it’s either tumblr or twitter blowing up. His face scrunches up in confusion. Hadn’t he turned off social media notifications a long time ago? Maybe he accidentally turned one of them on and just doesn’t remember; he reaches out for his charging phone. He doesn’t even need to tap the home button before the screen lights up with more barrages of notifications. Keith swipes at one of the notifications, rubbing sleep from his eyes so he can read the commotion.

 

His phone opens up on twitter, revealing someone @ him.

 

_voltroncats: @keithisnotanalien , what was that ‘baby’ you directed toward Lance, huhhh?_

  
What? Oh. _Oh. The episode. It uploaded today._ Keith decides to check the rest of the tweets.

 

_kogone: Does @keithisnotanalien Is Gay?_

_pidgeenstein: @kogone @keithisnotanalien yea buddy, tell us_

 

He is definitely gay, a closeted gay, but he wasn’t just about to come out. _“Pidge, you’re supposed to help me.”_ he whispers softly, betrayed. Keith’s always been careful about calling Lance cute romantic nicknames in case that would make him uncomfortable, and in case something like this happened. Something tells him he’ll be coming out of the closet sooner than later.

 

Then there’s a certain notification that baffles him. He scrolls past it, so he brings it back up and opens it so he can read it fully.

 

_Space Cadet: @keithisnotanalien @sniperman @pidgeenstein @hunkules , CONFIRM THE NAME PLS, KLANCE OR LAITH?_

 

Keith blinked not only one, two, three times but five and tilted his head, confusion strewn across his face and raking his brain. He finally says, “What’s a klance and what’s a laith?”

 

He decides to look it up in twitter’s search bar and surprisingly,

 

It’s trending on twitter.

**Author's Note:**

> most of the pets haven't appeared yet but:  
> Lance’s dog and cat are a Siberian Husky (Maxwell) and a Maine Coon (Teacup)  
> Keith’s cat is a Red Somali (Mitten)  
> Hunk’s cat is a Orange Tabby (Daisy)  
> Pidge’s cat and lizard is a Siamese Cat (Emerald) and Iguana (Draco)
> 
> I hope for this to be one of the multi-chap fics I actually finish this time around rip;; I’m horrible with consistent updates unless everything had been written beforehand and this fic is going as I write it. So, a little note! All support is appreciated, yes!, but commenting just to ask for updates just kinda makes me lose motivation, ya feel me? bc then i start rushing the chapter, to which said chapter comes all fumbled, resulting in me being displeased with the results and with no energy or motivation left I never update the fic ever again. Remember, just because it has been a while since the last update doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned it.
> 
> With that being said, I hope you’re all enjoying this so far. I’m not an amazing writer, my wording can be sometimes clumsy (except when it comes to my ocs, I’ve figured), I’m not very poetic, and I’m self-conscious with pacing in my fics but i don’t rlly know how it comes out to others?? but either way, depending on how this fic is received, I’ll continue. If not? I’ll still (hopefully) continue it anyways. (suggestions for the fic are appreciated too!!)
> 
> and do I really need to give warning that most of the times I proofread when the chaps are actually posted? probably not. y’all know me already. probably.
> 
> Until then, see ya!


End file.
